


Something to Remind You

by KittyBandit



Series: Follow Your Heart [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst, Christmas, Christmas Smut, Established Relationship, Fluff, Interns & Internships, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Oral Sex, Sappy Christmas Shit, Sex, Shower Sex, Snowball Fight, thigh fucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 02:47:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13114371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyBandit/pseuds/KittyBandit
Summary: Long distance relationships are hard–and they’re even harder when your boss refuses to give you time off to return home for Christmas. But if you’re lucky, Christmas will come to you.





	Something to Remind You

**Author's Note:**

> The sequel to Sea Glass that no one asked for. And a Christmas fic to boot. XD 
> 
> This story takes place 2.5 years after Sea Glass. For reference, Link is in his 3rd year at university, and he and Lavi have been dating since the summer Sea Glass takes place in. 
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

_“Howie, please tell me you’re joking.”_

Link sighed as he reorganized the papers on his desk, his cellphone wedged between his shoulder and ear. The stacks of files and notes overflowed the baskets on his desk, and he could barely see his computer for all the clutter. The disorganization was driving him crazy. “I wish I was. But my boss said that I needed to get these reports done by the 24th, and after that, I have to be on call for meetings the entire week.”

 _“But it’s Christmas,”_ Lavi said, his voice straining through the receiver. _“You were supposed to come home.”_

“I know. I’m sorry,” Link replied, the words coming out automatically—monotone. He’d said the same thing when he canceled his last trip home, and the one before that as well. “But my boss is—”

 _“I know,”_ Lavi replied. _“He’s the devil.”_

“In not so many words,” Link added, a tired smile curling up on his lips.

Lavi sighed, and a long silence echoed over the other end of the phone before he spoke again. _“I understand this internship is important, but you’re working yourself to the bone there. I thought you could at least take a break on Christmas.”_

“I thought so, too.” Link could hear the disappointment in Lavi’s voice, and it cut across his skin like a knife. He set down the files in his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to clear the jumbled thoughts rattling around in his brain. “Between coursework and the internship, I might not be able to come back until summer break.”

The silence on the phone was deafening, and he almost thought Lavi had hung up until he heard the rustling of something in the background. _“That’s too long, Howie,”_ Lavi replied, more melancholic than Link had ever heard him before.

Link switched the phone to his other ear, a painful unease curling in his stomach. “I know it is. I know, I just—” As he turned in his chair to reach for a pen, he knocked over a pile of files, scattering them on the floor. He cursed under his breath. “Lavi, I have to go. I’ll call you tonight when I’m done with work.”

 _“Sure,”_ Lavi replied, his tone lackluster. _“Bye.”_

“B—” Before Link could get his goodbye out, he heard the beep as the call disconnected. He pulled the phone from his ear and looked down at it, his homescreen mocking him as he stared at the picture Lavi had taken of them last summer. Smiling. Happy _. Together._

“Bye,” he finished, setting the phone down on his cluttered desk and leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He’d gone over his schedule dozens of times, trying to avoid canceling another trip home. He hadn’t seen Lavi in months, and the distance began to wear on them both. Christmas break was supposed to be their chance to make up for lost time—to have a whole week just for themselves. He had planned on spending Christmas day with his family, then meeting Lavi at his place for the rest of the week. He’d been preparing for it for over a month now, and all that time, all that excitement disappeared like a puff of smoke. All he was left with was a frustrated boyfriend and a Christmas day alone with a frozen dinner and the last few bottles of hipster IPA his roommate had left in the fridge. How romantic…

Kneeling down on the floor, Link carefully picked up each dropped sheet of paper, organizing it as he cleaned the mess. When he’d finally picked up the last misplaced paper and sat back in his desk to continue writing his reports, one of his coworkers poked her head in the door of his workspace.

“Link?”

His head snapped up at the call, and he saw Emilia watching him from the doorway with a concerned look. He nearly dropped the files for a second time. After taking a deep breath, he turned to her. “Yes?”

“Mr. Johnson wants to see you in his office.”

Link set the files down, barely keeping the neutral expression on his face. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Emilia nodded, giving him a sympathetic look before leaving.

Glancing back at his disgustingly unorganized desk, Link heaved a sigh and rubbed at his eyes as he took a moment to compose himself. He looked down at the clock on his computer—6:03PM. He was supposed to have caught his bus home by now.

Shoving down that unhelpful thought, he stood and headed to his boss’ office. There was no point in dwelling over it. Being upset wouldn’t let him see his boyfriend any sooner.

 

xXxXxXx

 

 **07:32 PM//** I’m really sorry I can’t make it for Christmas.

 **08:01 PM//** I’d been looking forward to seeing you all month.

 **09:22 PM//** Lavi, I’m sorry.

 **11:22 PM//** Lavi?

By midnight, Link had given up trying to get a reply out of his boyfriend. They hadn’t spoken since Link had called him earlier in the day while he was still stuck at work. He’d expected Lavi to argue with him over missing Christmas—to be more vocal and attempt to get him to reconsider. They’d argued in the past, mostly because of Link’s hectic schedule and heavy workload, but Lavi never gave him the silent treatment. Never.

Setting his phone on the nightstand, Link curled up on his side and stared across at the wall, watching the glow of the streetlights shine against it. His roommates had all left for Christmas break earlier in the day and wouldn’t be back for weeks. With a sigh, he closed his eyes.

This was for his future. One holiday spent alone wasn’t the end of the world, not when the work he was doing would secure him a job at his uncle’s business. He was already in his junior year; he could make it another year and a half to graduation. He could wait it out—he’d waited longer for less.

Then a painful thought jabbed into the forefront of his mind. Yes, Link knew he could wait. He knew he could deal with college and his internship and make it all work out. But could Lavi? Could Lavi wait for him? Did he even want to try?

They’d met the summer after Link graduated high school. Link had spent the time working for his uncle at his business in that small seaside town. He’d known no one there, and had no intentions of even making friends—or having fun. Then, he’d met Lavi, and his life had been turned upside down.

Their relationship had been long distance from the start, and Link would be lying if he said it was easy. Sure, they could text and call and video chat, but it wasn’t the same as being there—it wasn’t the same as kissing or hugging or sharing a meal or falling asleep in each other’s arms or waking up with that warmth at your back.

Maybe he’d asked too much of Lavi, to wait for him while he finished school.

Maybe he’d been selfish.

With a heavy sigh and a guilt-ridden knot in his guts, he turned to face the wall next to his bed and pulled the covers up to his chin to keep the cool air at bay. He could use work to keep himself busy and try to ignore the uneasy feeling growing in his chest.

He only hoped that Lavi would talk to him tomorrow.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Link texted Lavi twice that next morning, and attempted to call him just as many times, only to receive the same radio-silence he’d gotten the night before. During his lunch break, he sequestered himself in the bathroom and tried another method.

He listened as the phone rang and rang, anxiously tapping his fingers on the white porcelain sink.

Finally, he answered. _“Hello?”_

“Allen, I know this is going to sound a little weird, but have you talked to Lavi at all today?”

 _“Not today, no,”_ Allen replied. Link could hear others talking in the background, and faint sound of Christmas music. _“Why? Is something wrong?”_

“No… No, just checking. He probably didn’t charge his phone again.” Link winced as he tried to keep his voice level and calm. He didn’t want Allen to worry.

_“I can let him know if I see him, but he hasn’t been into the store yet, and we’re closing early for Christmas Eve.”_

“Thank you,” Link replied, brushing back the hair from his face as he fought to keep his emotions under control. “I’ll let you get back to work. And if I don’t get to talk to you tomorrow, Merry Christmas and happy birthday.”

 _“Same to you,”_ Allen added, and Link could hear the smile in his voice. _“Your birthday is on the 29th, right?"_

Link paused for a moment, taken aback. His birthday… He’d forgotten with how frazzled his brain was lately. “Ah, yeah. It is. Thank you.”

Allen hummed, as if he’d just caught on to something. _“Link, are you ok—ack! Shit!”_ There was a loud, reverberating noise, like metal hitting something hard, and Allen continued to curse under his breath. _“Sorry, I just made a huge mess and gotta clean it up before Lena sees it. Talk to you later.”_

The abrupt end to their call left Link frozen for a moment before he could form words. “Ah, yeah. Later.” He heard the beep of the phone disconnecting and sighed as he tucked it into his pocket. After taking a deep breath, he turned the handle on the sink and washed his face. The sting of cold water distracted him, even if only for a second. When he finished, he grabbed some paper towels and dried his hands and face, then stared at himself in the mirror. The dark circles ringed under his eyes were more prominent than they’d been in weeks, giving him a sickly, gaunt look.

Turning away from the mirror, he headed back to his workspace. He still needed to finish his reports before he could leave for the day, or his boss would ream him out.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Snow fell silently as Link made his way back to the dorms. He’d left work at five, but after taking the bus and having to walk part of the way home, it was almost six by the time the large brick building was in sight. He wished he could’ve afforded a car like many of the other students had, but the only reason he’d been allowed to attend the university was due to his full scholarship. And even without the burden of loans, he still had a tight budget.

He’d debated whether or not to try and contact Lavi again as the day went by, but even as he approached the dorm hall, he hadn’t come to a firm decision. He’d already been ignored for 24 hours, nearly on the dot, and if he continued to call Lavi, he might look desperate, or worse—make him even madder than he already was.

With hands tucked deep in his pockets and face buried in the high collar of his coat, Link walked up the stairs to the building. As he approached the main doors, he noticed someone sitting with a couple of bags near the railing. He couldn’t see their face with the snow and the lack of light, but he guessed they were waiting to be let in—or waiting to be picked up. Though, waiting outside in this weather seemed like the perfect way to catch a cold. Link decided to ignore them, too wrapped up in his own inner turmoil to bother with the stranger—

Until they spoke to him.

“’Bout time they let you off work. Doesn’t your boss know it’s Christmas Eve?”

Link froze two steps down from the stranger, staring in awe at the familiar face that grinned at him from behind an extra fluffy orange scarf. His heart stopped beating as he parted his lips and spoke the name that had been on his mind for days now. “Lavi? Wh—What are you doing here?”

“What? No _‘Hello, great to see you!’_? What kind of greeting is that for your boyfriend?” Lavi stood and brushed the snow off his shoulders, giving Link a tired smile.

“But…” Link began, still surprised and not sure how this miracle had occurred. “How did you get here? It’s an eight hour drive and—”

“—And I left this morning to make it here on time,” Lavi finished, grinning wider. He stepped down until he stood just next to Link. Their breath misted between them, warm clouds of steam fogging up the air. “Since you couldn’t make it back home for Christmas break, I decided to take Christmas break to you.”

“Lavi, I…” Link didn’t know what to say. He was so choked up at the sight of his boyfriend after so many months apart that his brain short-circuited. “…Thank you.”

“Okay, just the look on your face right now was worth the trip,” Lavi said with a laugh. He leaned in and kissed Link’s lips, just a soft little peck. His lips were cold on Link’s, and he knew it was from sitting out in the cold for too long. “Now, can we go inside before I get frostbite?”

“Yes—sorry!” Link replied, flustered. He shook his head, fumbling with his keys as he pulled them out of his jacket. He grabbed a few of Lavi’s bags, surprised by the amount of stuff he brought with him. “What is all of this?”

Lavi shouldered his duffel bag before grabbing a few plastic grocery bags, all of which looked haphazardly packed. “Well, I figured we couldn’t get a Christmas dinner tomorrow, and nearly everything was closed by now—except that Chinese restaurant you took me to last time I was here.” They headed up the rest of the stairs and Link opened the front doors to the vestibule, a rush of warm air greeting them as they shuffled inside. “I got us a ton of food. The rest are presents from Lenalee and Allen, and me, too—of course. Oh, and Lenalee sent me off with a whole box of her Christmas cookies.”

They made their way to the elevator and up to the fifth floor, then down the hallway to Link’s dormroom. The walk helped him clear his head as he listened to Lavi explaining how he got here.

“Gramps was a little pissed that I wanted to leave for the holiday, but when I told him that you were stuck here because of that damned internship, he drove me up himself.”

Link almost dropped his keys as he went to unlock the door. “He did?”

“Yeah. Apparently, he thinks you’re a good influence on me, or something. I’ll have to take a bus back later this week, but that’s not a big deal. I wanted to stay for Christmas and your birthday.” Lavi nudged Link’s shoulder with his own. “You shouldn’t be alone for either.”

“I’ll have to thank him later.” Link smiled, his chest already feeling lighter than it had in weeks. He’d spent all day at the office, and the only plans he had for that night and tomorrow were to relax and catch up on his reading. Neither were particularly exciting, especially for the biggest holiday of the year. But now…

…Now his Christmas wish came true.

They entered the dorm, and Lavi kicked off his dirty, wet winter boots and coat before padding into the living space in his mismatched socks. He set down the bags of food and presents on the small kitchen counter. The main room was small, but spacious for a dorm—like a tiny apartment. There was a fully functioning kitchen and living room, with windows lining one of the walls. Link and his roommates had set up a couch and entertainment center with a modest TV. They each had their own bedrooms, and shared a communal bathroom down the hallway. The dormroom was one of the lucky amenities at the prestigious university, and something Link doubted he could have afforded had he not earned a full scholarship.

“Your roommates are already gone?” Lavi asked as he pulled out the food he’d brought.

“They left yesterday. I’m not expecting to see them again until the new semester starts in January.” Link locked the door behind them, shedding his own winter gear before joining him in the kitchen. He looked over the array of food, and a smile slipped onto his lips. “You think you brought enough food?”

“Well, I didn’t know if you had anything here. And nothing will be open tomorrow.” Lavi set out the food—container after container of little white Chinese takeout boxes full of rice and lo mein and curry and happy family. It was enough to feed them for days, and Link wanted to laugh at Lavi’s over-preparedness. But when he took out the tub of cookies next, Link nearly fell over. There had to be at least six dozen cookies in that container. Just looking through the plastic, he saw peanut butter blossoms, frosted sugar cookies of all shapes and sizes, cranberry-walnut cookies, macaroons, shortbread thumbprints filled with jam, gingerbread, snickerdoodles… It was a cookie-lover’s paradise.

“Lenalee made _all_ of these?” Link asked, looking into the container.

“She had extras from the shop,” Lavi replied, grinning as he peeked into the container. “I think she’s trying to fatten us up.”

“Well, I _am_ a starving college student,” Link said, turning to put a pot of water on the stove to boil.

Lavi leaned against the counter, balling up the plastic bags before tossing them in the trash. “What’cha making?”

“Tea. You still look like you’re freezing.” Link set out two cups on the counter, placing a tea bag in each one as the water slowly heated up.

“Howie,” Lavi whined, slipping up behind Link as he watched him prepare the drinks from over his shoulder. “I want coffee instead.”

“If you drink coffee, you’ll be up all night,” Link reminded him. He’d stopped chiding the redhead about his nicknames years ago.

Chuckling, Lavi leaned in and kissed Link’s neck. “If you think either of us is going to sleep tonight, you’ve got another thing coming.” His hands curled around Link’s hips, pulling him flush against his body as cold fingers slipped up under the hem of his shirt and tickled his skin.

Link flinched away from the cold touch, turning around to scold him. But before a word could leave his lips, Lavi’s mouth was on his, kissing him deeply as he pushed him back against the counter. Link hummed, hands sliding up to hold Lavi closer to him.

Lavi’s tongue slid into his mouth, deepening their kiss. Link felt Lavi’s body pressed up against his, such a familiar touch that he’d missed for months. The rush of excitement sent a jolt of desire though him. He trembled against Lavi, the redhead’s hands growing bolder as the seconds passed. Lavi ran his hands down his hips, then over the plump curve of his ass before he lifted him up to sit him on the counter.

The shift in position disoriented Link for a split second, but before he could complain to Lavi that they shouldn’t sit on the counters, Lavi’s mouth was on his neck and sucking deep, dark bruises into his skin. Link moaned, biting his lip in an attempt to keep the sound down as he leaned into the touch. His legs spread apart, and Lavi moved in closer, their hips pressed together. Link’s legs curled around Lavi, keeping him close as tightened his hands in the back of the redhead’s shirt.

“Mm, I missed hearing you moan,” Lavi mumbled, nipping up Link’s neck until he found his ear, sucking the lobe into his mouth and teasing it with his teeth and tongue.

Link would’ve replied, but his tongue was only good for whining in that moment. He pressed his face into Lavi’s shoulder, hoping to stifle the inappropriate sounds spilling past his lips. Undeterred, Lavi continued the onslaught of kisses on Link’s neck. As he worked another bruise into his skin, he slid a hand down between them and thumbed open the button on Link’s pants. Then, without hesitation, he pulled down the zipper and slipped his hand into them, stroking the growing bulge over his underwear.

“L-Lavi,” Link groaned out, biting his lip to keep from gasping. Even through the fabric of his underwear, Lavi’s touch set a fire burning in his chest. His hips arched into Lavi’s hand, and he tilted his head to the side, giving him better access to his neck. He didn’t know how he would hide the bruises that likely already littered his neck—though in that moment, he didn’t much care.

With an embarrassed, excited flush on his face, Link smoothed one of his hands down Lavi’s back and around his hip to cup the front of his pants. He felt the same hardness trapped behind Lavi’s ratty, old jeans. Link’s mouth watered, throat tight with want. He’d never done this in such a public space before—and each illicit touch sent another chill of desire down his spine. This was his kitchen, a shared space with his roommates. If they knew what he was doing right on these counters…

Dizzy with need, he slipped his fingers into the edge of Lavi’s pants, ready to pull them open and touch the redhead as he was touching him. However, just as he popped the button of Lavi’s jeans open, the teakettle sang, the water finally boiled.

Link startled at the sound, the spell broken. Lavi blinked, shaken by the disturbance as well. He pulled away, letting Link slide down off the counter and back on his feet.

Lavi cleared his throat before he leaned in close again. His fingers smoothed along Link’s jaw and neck, the brush of rough skin sending a shiver down Link’s spine. “…You wanna go to the bedroom?” he asked, voice husky and low.

Still shaken and unable to reply, Link moved to the stove and turned the burner off, sliding to kettle to side. When he turned around, his eyes met Lavi’s, and he knew they were just as hot as the kettle, steamed up and ready to boil over. They hadn’t seen each other for months, and though Link knew it was trite and cliche, Lavi had him too worked up to think about anything but sex. Without a word, he took Lavi’s hand, leading him down the hallway and to his room.

When they entered, Link closed the door behind them—even with his roommates gone, it felt wrong to leave the door open while they fooled around. That thin piece of wood separating them from the rest of the dorm was like barrier, and as soon as they were sequestered away, Link felt his inhibitions drop.

Lavi pulled Link to the bed, pushing him down against the mattress. The sheets and blankets were tucked in and his pillows were fluffed up and set at the headboard. Neat and orderly—just like Link preferred it. But as soon as they fell against the bed, the sheets pulled out from their perfect folding, and one of the pillows fell to the floor. Link could never keep anything in its place when Lavi was around, and that feeling of chaos and emotional abandon left him freer than ever. Among a sea of scheduled hours and assignments and days spent at his internship, Lavi was the only wildcard in his life. He never knew what would happen when he was with his boyfriend.

And Link lived for the constant surprises.

Not wasting time, Lavi unbuttoned Link’s shirt as he straddled his hips, fingers moving with a swift efficiency until he’d stripped him of the dress shirt, then went to work on his pants. They were still undone from their earlier escapades in the kitchen, and all Lavi had to do was slip them over his hips and down past his legs. As Lavi shifted to get the pants off, Link sat up, his fingers curling around the bottom edge of Lavi’s long-sleeved shirt and tugged the fabric up over his chest.

Lavi chuckled as he slipped the shirt off the rest of the way once his hands were free. “You’re impatient.”

Link frowned, reaching for the zipper on Lavi’s pants. “Forgive me for not wanting to be the only one naked _again_.”

“You act like that’s a bad thing,” Lavi replied, grinning down as he watched Link undo his pants.

“It’s not fair when I’m the only one stripped down to nothing,” Link said, attempting to keep his face neutral, though he was sure the hot flush on his face gave him away.

“I disagree—I think it’s perfect.” Lavi moved again once his pants were unzipped and worked them off his hips and legs, tossing them to the side of the bed. With both of them down to their underwear, Lavi straddled Link’s hips again before leaning in, their bodies pressed together—hot skin on skin. “I don’t get to admire your naked body enough.”

Link flushed brighter at the comment, and turned his face away from Lavi to hide it. “You’re embarrassing,” he mumbled, swallowing down a moan as their hardened cocks pressed against each other. Even through the thin fabric of their underwear, it still felt like Heaven.

Lavi leaned in and licked Link’s earlobe, humming as he took it into his mouth to suck on the soft flesh. Link shivered and closed his eyes, body relaxing against the sheets. When Lavi let the tender flesh loose, he whispered into his ear, “Stop pretending like you don’t love it.” Without warning, he began kissing over Link’s neck and shoulders as he had in the kitchen, his lips brushing over already bruised skin and marking up more unblemished flesh.

Squirming under the attention, Link whined. His hands reached up, squeezing Lavi’s hips tight as he arched himself up into the redhead. Their cocks brushed against each other, the pressure and friction leaving them both moaning. It echoed off the walls, and in the back of Link’s head, he thanked God that there was likely no one else in the dorms to hear them.

With a groan, Lavi pressed his face into Link’s shoulder, his body tensed as he tried to regain composure. “Fuck, I really missed you,” he mumbled, one hand cupping the back of Link’s neck as he buried his face in his long, blond hair. Link’s ever-present braid was coming loose, flyaway strands framing his face and sticking to his sweaty neck.

“I missed you, too,” Link replied, cuddling closer as his arms wrapped around Lavi. “It’s been too long.” He clung to him, pressing his face into the redhead’s shoulder as he tried to keep his emotions under control. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, he ran a hand up and down Lavi’s back, quietly reveling in the feel of his lover in his arms.

“One-hundred and three days,” Lavi added, kissing Link’s neck before moving back enough to look in his eyes. “Exactly.”

Link shook his head and tried to hold back a laugh. “You and that damned memory.”

“It has its advantages,” Lavi replied, a suspiciously sly smirk curling up on his lips. He shifted, sliding his hand down lower until his fingers brushed Link’s inner thigh. “Like how I recall this,” he paused just long enough to run his fingers lightly up Link’s thigh, sending a deep shiver through his entire body, “never fails to get you worked up.”

“L-Lavi,” Link whined, his fingers digging into the redhead’s back as he desperately tried to keep himself from arching into the touch. His skin felt like it was on fire, molten hot lava racing through his veins.

Lavi snickered, amused by how easy it was to get his boyfriend to unravel. He withdrew his hand, watching his neck and chest flush as red as his face had. “Okay, I’ll stop teasing you,” he said, hips shifting against Link’s as he continued to look down at him. “What do you want to do, Howie? Anything you want, I’ll do it.”

Link took a deep breath, then looked away, too embarrassed to keep eye contact when Lavi stared at him with that amorous smirk. His head was a jumble of thoughts and ideas as he contemplated Lavi’s offer, yet he couldn’t pin down exactly what he wanted when asked so directly.

Lavi grew impatient as Link thought over his options, and began smoothing his hands down Link’s bare chest. “Don’t think so hard—your brain will explode,” he said, pinching one of Link’s nipples with a laugh.

“I assure you, that’s not helping me decide,” Link replied, batting away Lavi’s hand as he tried to clear his head.

“Howie, you’re over-thinking it again,” Lavi whined, leaning down to kiss him. “It’s not like it will be our only chance to fuck this trip. I’ll be here the whole week.”

“You need to work on your pillow talk,” Link commented, rubbing a hand over his face to keep from rolling his eyes at the crude comment.

“I’m serious. You know we’ll fuck more than once tonight, too. I have plans to ravish you until Christmas morning.” Lavi grinned, rocking his hips against Link’s for emphasis.

Link couldn’t help but chuckle, finally looking back up at Lavi. “And let Santa hear all that racket? You’re getting coal in your stocking this year.”

Lavi laughed outright, his entire body shaking. He almost fell off of Link’s lap, and had to steady himself with a hand on the wall next to the bed. “Maybe, but I think it’ll be worth it. Now, c’mon—tell me what you want.”

Squirming under Lavi, Link sighed as one of his hands idly smoothed over the redhead’s bare thigh. “It’s hard to make up my mind when you put me on the spot like that.”

As Lavi’s laughter subsided, he looked down at Link, a fondness in his good eye. “Mm, I suppose so.” He reached down and brushed the loose strands of Link’s hair from his face, fingers trailing over his already sweaty skin.

Link averted his eyes and hoped his nervousness wasn’t too noticeable in the dim lighting. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t had sex before—many times, in fact—but as Lavi had pointed out earlier, it had been a long time since they’d even seen each other. And that time apart had left Link less than confident.

“Could you…” Link began, pausing as he tried to find his words. “Could you just… do what you want to me?”

Lavi blinked, tilting his head in confusion. “But I asked what you wanted.”

“I know, but…” Link’s face flushed twice as red, and he couldn’t keep eye contact with Lavi. “I want you to do something you’ve been thinking about since we last saw each other. What have you wanted to do to me since then?”

With a hum, Lavi rocked himself against Link’s crotch, earning him a soft moan from Link’s lips. “Mmm, tricky Howie. I see what you’re doing. But okay—I’ll play along.” He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Link’s underwear, grinning widely as he dragged them down and off his legs. He hopped off the narrow bed and shed his own boxers before moving to the nightstand. After he plucked out a condom and some lubricant, he grinned back over at Link. “Now, just lay there and let me do all the work, okay?”

Link was about to ask what Lavi was up to when the redhead jumped back on top of him and kissed him deeply. Link whined into the kiss as their naked bodies slid together, Lavi’s legs firmly gripping his hips as he straddled him. When he pulled back, Lavi sat up and popped the bottle of lube open, drizzling it onto his fingers. Link watched, eyes dilated and breath shallow, as Lavi slipped his hand behind himself and fingered his own entrance.

Lavi closed his eye, mouth hung open as he gasped and mewled against the intrusion of his own fingers. His hips shifted and wiggled on top of Link, and it left the blond more than a little aroused. His cock jumped against his stomach each time Lavi made a noise, precum pearling up at the tip and smearing over his skin. He couldn’t see what Lavi was doing to himself from the angle, but squelching sounds of slick skin on skin left his stomach tight with want.

With trembling hands, Link smoothed his fingers up Lavi’s thighs. He moved slowly, eyes focused on Lavi’s face, and the way his lips curled with each gasp that passed through them. With a gentle touch, he took his and Lavi’s cock in his hands and stroked them together.

A moan rumbled in Lavi’s throat, and he pushed his fingers in deeper. “Ah, fuck. Are you trying to kill me before we even start?”

Link kept watching Lavi, his hand pumping up and down on their shafts. His lips quirked into the tiniest smirk. “Maybe I am.”

Lavi whined, tilting his head back as he continued to stretch himself. He mumbled a few more curses under his breath, hips arching shallowly into Link’s hand to fight for more friction. After another minute or two of preparation, he pulled the fingers from his ass, letting out a heavy breath and curling forward against Link. Their foreheads pressed together as Lavi composed himself, and Link’s strokes grew slower.

“Lavi?” Link mumbled, voice already hoarse from their activities. Before he could speak again, Lavi pressed a reassuring kiss on Link’s forehead, then sat back up again. He grabbed the condom he’d set next to them on the bed and unwrapped it with ease.

He stopped Link’s steady strokes, gently pushing his hand away and grabbing the blond’s dick with a loose grip. He rolled the condom on, and without a word or preamble, he shifted his hips and sat back on Link’s wrapped shaft, pressing it into his ass in one fluid motion.

They both groaned as their bodies joined, eyes closed as they reveled in the intimate touch. Link’s hands settled on Lavi’s hips, fingers digging into his flesh as he trembled above him. Lavi shoved one hand in his mouth to keep the lewd noises from spilling past his lips. He stared down at Link, his green eye glazed over with desire.

Link’s breath caught in his throat, his grip tightening around Lavi’s waist. As he met Lavi’s gaze, his mouth went dry. Lavi’s face and chest were flushed red, his chest heaving with breath as he sat on top of him. It was a beautiful sight, perfect in every way.

Reaching up, Link brushed a hand over Lavi’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

Lavi nodded sharply, pulling the hand from his mouth and pressing it over Link’s as he caressed his cheek. “Yes. Now, promise to lay here and let me do the work?”

“Promise,” Link replied, his voice heavy with need. Lavi pulled his hand away from his face, kissing it before letting go and shifting his hips to make sure he was comfortable. The slight friction left Link to slowly slide in and out of Lavi’s ass, and he groaned softly, head falling back against the pillows.

Then, Lavi began. His hips moved up, pulling himself off of Link until only the tip of his heavy cock remained inside, then rocked back down, fully sheathing Link inside him once more. The pace started off slow, torturously so. Link watched him as he worked, thighs shaking from the exertion, face and neck and chest flushed bright red, his single green eye glossy with lust, and his long cock bouncing helplessly against his stomach with each motion.

A moan escaped Link’s throat, and his hips arched up to meet Lavi’s as he thrust back down onto him. Lavi grinned, even as he panted heavily, still working himself on Link’s cock. “You feel thicker,” Lavi gasped out, that smirk still on his lips.

“Don’t start with— _ah_ —with that mindless flattery.” Link had trouble speaking through the pleasure that zipped along his veins like electricity. In retaliation, he smoothed his fingers up the underside of Lavi’s cock, then began to stroke him in time with his thrusts.

Lavi groaned, his hips twitching up into Link’s touch. He stared down at Link, still working his hips in time with Link’s hand. His back curved with the action, legs spread wide as he rocked himself onto Link’s hardened length. “Don’t pretend that you don’t love it— _nnn_ …” Lavi bit his lip, trying to regain his composure.

Not bothering to reply, Link rubbed his thumb over the slit of Lavi’s member, smearing precum and sending a shiver up the redhead’s spine. He watched as Lavi’s hips stuttered again, too overcome from the attention, and continued the action just to see his boyfriend unravel on top of him.

“Fuck, Howie, c’mon,” Lavi whined, closing his eyes against the stimulation and grinding his ass down harder. He gasped when he bottomed out, his cock twitching in Link’s hand. “Not fair—you’re not playing fair.”

“You teased me first,” Link mumbled, voice husky as he moved his fingers against Lavi’s length. The careful attention earned him a loud moan from Lavi, and the redhead grabbed his own hair, tugging it in the hopes to distract himself from his impending orgasm.

Lavi whined, any words he tried to say lost under his breath as he fucked himself on Link’s cock harder and faster. The increased friction dragged Link closer to his own completion, as did Lavi’s delicious noises echoing off his bedroom walls. He lost the ability to meet Lavi’s thrusts halfway, pinned to the mattress as the redhead worked himself up. Link continued to watch him, eyes half-lidded as Lavi spread himself wider. He couldn’t last much longer—neither of them could.

Link slid his hand up and down Lavi’s shaft, gentle as he teased the velvety skin faster. Lavi keened, barely keeping himself under control as he pumped up and down like a piston. The sight was too much to take in, and before Link could warn Lavi, he gasped, hips canting up into the redhead as he came hard. His body stiffened up as he orgasmed, breaths stilted and harsh. As he reached the tail end of his pleasure, Lavi came as well, spilling himself over his stomach and dirtying Link’s fingers as he stroked him through it. It all happened in only a few seconds, but once it ended, it was as if a bubble had burst.

Unable to hold himself up any longer, Lavi collapsed down on Link, face buried in his neck as their cum-stained stomachs slid against each other. Link groaned, arms wrapped tight around Lavi as he fought to catch his breath. He stared up at the ceiling as their heated bodies cooled in the quiet of his room, and as sticky and sweaty and gross as he was, he’d never felt better.

When he caught his breath, Lavi slid off Link’s chest, moving to the side of the bed as his back pressed up against the wall. His fingers danced over Link’s dirtied stomach as a smile curled over his lips.

“Not bad for our first time in a while.”

Link sighed and pulled an arm over his eyes. “I really hope everyone’s gone from the building already, because I’m sure they could’ve heard you moaning on the roof.”

Lavi laughed and leaned in to kiss Link’s cheek. “Don’t be such a prude, Howie. You were pretty loud yourself, y’know.”

“I wasn’t,” he argued, pulling his arm away and giving Lavi the best glare he could muster. Of course, it looked more like a pathetic pout, what with his disheveled appearance. Lavi snickered and pulled him closer as they snuggled up in bed.

“Sure, whatever you say.” He pressed his face into Link’s shoulder, still grinning like a fool. “Did you wanna clean up and actually eat?”

“Yeah, in a minute. I just need to rest a bit.” Link closed his eyes, tilting his head towards Lavi’s as they cuddled up together. Before two minutes could pass, Link had fallen asleep curled up next to Lavi.

 

xXxXxXx

 

Link woke up disoriented, warm, and sticky. His eyes cracked open, lids crusty from sleep, and he groaned as he tried to twist around. However, a heavy weight pressed against his back, pinning him down. It took Link a second to realize who was spooning him, and for the sudden, rapid thumping of his heart to calm in his chest.

“Lavi,” he mumbled, more forceful as he turned around to face the redhead. “What time is it?”

Lavi hummed, pulling himself closer. He had fallen asleep not long after Link, though Lavi had the sense to at least pull up the blankets and cover them before they had succumbed to slumber.

With slow movements, he reached over the bed for his discarded pants. After a few minutes of fumbling, he found his phone still tucked away in his pocket. Lavi had pounced on him so quickly after he’d returned home that he didn’t have time to settle into his routine. He hadn’t even had dinner…

As the screen of his phone lit up, he saw the time: 10:04 PM. Not too late, but he’d slept longer than he’d thought—nearly four hours. With a sigh he sat up, the blankets curling around his waist as he scratched at his stomach. Wincing, he realized he’d fallen asleep still covered in cum. It flaked from his skin and caught under his nails. He suddenly felt completely disgusting, and slipped from the bed without disturbing Lavi. He knew the redhead could sleep through anything, but Link refused to go back to bed with his body crusty and stinking of sex.

Grabbing a fresh towel from his closet, he padded his way down the hall and slipped into the bathroom as quietly as possible. He flinched when he turned on the light, the brightness too much for his eyes after just waking up. He fumbled around half-blind as his eyes adjusted, setting his towel on the sink and starting the water.

Once the temperature was to his liking, he pushed the clear curtain back and stepped in. The steam wafted in hot clouds, and Link took a deep breath as he unraveled the rest of his braid before dunking his head under the steady stream of water. Not even two seconds under the showerhead and he already felt two-hundred percent better.

He’d only began to soap up the loofah and scrub his skin clean when he heard the door creak open. Link frowned, watching the hazy figure behind the curtain. “Lavi? I’m sorry I woke you up. I just couldn’t stand being dirty anymore.”

Link heard shuffling around the bathroom, and before he could ask what was going on, Lavi replied, “Don’t worry about it. You gave me a good reason to get clean myself.” He slipped into the shower with Link, sliding up behind him and wrapping his arms around Link’s waist. Link stiffened at the initial contact, but relaxed against Lavi’s chest. Lavi’s skin was still cold from the chilly air in the dorm, but the water warmed him up quickly.

As Lavi’s hips shifted, Link felt a familiar hardness against his lower back. He continued to soap up his skin, cleaning off the mess from earlier. “Are you sure you came here to bathe, and not for something else?”

Chuckling, Lavi leaned in and kissed Link’s shoulder as the water sprayed over them. “Well, two birds with one stone, and all that…” He reached around, teasing Link’s cock and balls with wet, warm fingers.

“Lavi…” Link warned, shifting his position to lean back against the redhead. “We just had sex, you know.”

“Yeah, and that was _hours_ ago.” He snickered and turned Link around in his arms, kissing him deeply. Link was so caught up in the kiss, he dropped the soaped up loofah. Lavi slid his hand down to tease Link more, fingers curling around his half-hard length and rousing him further.

Link sucked in a gasp through his nose, one hand braced on Lavi’s shoulder and the other tight around his waist. Lavi’s dick was hard against his stomach, rubbing in the soapy warmth on his skin. His guts knotted up as they had earlier, when Lavi had touched and teased him. He couldn’t say no when his boyfriend made him feel this good.

After a moment, Lavi pulled back, his teeth tugging on Link’s bottom lip before turning him around again. “Where’s that soap?” he mumbled, one hand sliding up Link’s back as he pushed him forward. Link had to brace his hands against the ledge on the wall, pushing away a few bottles of shampoo and conditioners.

When Lavi found the soap, he squirted a hefty dollop on his palm and then rubbed it over his cock, groaning at the slick touch. With a shift of his hips he smoothed that same soapy hand between Link’s legs, then pressed himself between them. “Keep your legs together,” he said, and Link nodded as his head ducked down between his braced arms.

Lavi rocked his hips forward, using the slick friction of Link’s thighs to stimulate himself. He grabbed Link’s hip as the water continued to rain down on them from above and groaned, his voice reverberating off the tiled walls of the bathroom. “Fuck, you feel good like this.” Once he got into a rhythm, he reached his free hand around Link and started jerking him off at the same time.

Panting, Link closed his eyes, water beating down on the back of his head as he held onto the wall to keep steady. He felt the slick, hard thrusts of Lavi between his thick thighs, and his knees grew weak. It didn’t help that Lavi’s grip on his cock was _perfect_ —not too tight as he stroked Link from root to tip, hand smeared with soap. He already felt that tug down low in his guts, begging for release as Lavi smoothed his fingers over steaming, wet skin.

Leaning down, Lavi licked along Link’s wet back, his tongue running up his spine. Link shivered, a moan tearing its way past his lips. His fingers tightened on the shower shelf, breath coming in harder, faster pants. “Lavi—Lavi, please…”

“Mm, close—so _close_ ,” Lavi mumbled into Link’s wet hair, pumping his hips faster. Link continued to hold on, praying he wouldn’t slip on the slick surface of the tub. Before he could worry for too long, Lavi’s hips lost their rhythm, and he felt the hot spurt of cum coat his inner thighs, sliding down his legs. Lavi stood there for a moment, catching his breath against Link’s neck before he pulled back and turned the blond around. Still stiff and hard, Link moaned as Lavi stole a quick, deep kiss, then dropped to his knees.

The water sprayed down Link’s back and he watched as Lavi sank down in the tub, pulling his hips closer. Parting his lips, Lavi eased Link’s cock onto his tongue, moaning as he stretched his mouth over him. His nose buried in the wet, wiry hair at the base of Link’s dick, tongue and lips smoothing over hard flesh. Link’s knees almost gave out and he had to grab the shower shelf again to keep upright. He bit his lip, still trying to keep the lewd noises from pouring off his tongue.

Lavi didn’t wait, his head bobbing back and forth as he took Link into him with steady movements, his hands holding hips still as he pleasured him. The warmth of Lavi’s mouth coupled with the hot water and steam from the shower left Link sweating, his head buzzing with blissful desire and his body tight with lust.

Glancing down, Link watched as Lavi’s lips dragged over his stiff flesh, smoothing over him with care. Lavi worked over him as if he were a delicious lollipop, licking and lapping over his cock with excited strokes. Each touch brought Link closer and closer to completion, his stomach tightening and legs shaking with desire. He could never last long when Lavi sucked him off like this, and even thought they’d already had sex a few hours ago, his body didn’t seem to care.

“Lavi, I—” Link began, cutting himself off as a long moan spilled past his lips. He watched Lavi with half-lidded eyes, barely holding himself upright as the redhead continued to suck him hard. He reached down, fingers in Lavi’s hair as he tried to gently tug him off, warning him that he couldn’t hold out for much longer, but Lavi didn’t pull back and refused to stop working his mouth over Link’s erection.

Link came fast and hard, spilling into Lavi’s mouth not seconds after he tried to warn the redhead. Instead of pulling back and spitting out the mess of cum, Lavi held firm on his cock, drinking down what he could, the excess spilling down the corners of his mouth. Only when Link had finished did he pull away, sucking in a deep breath and coughing lightly into his hand.

Reaching down to stroke at his half-wet hair, Link sighed, still shuddering from his orgasm. “Why did you do that?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. “You didn’t need to.”

“Did you like it?” Lavi asked, grinning as he stood up and wrapped his arms around Link’s wet shoulders.

“Yes, but—”

“Then it was worth it.” Lavi kissed his neck, lips lingering on his skin as they stood under the continuous stream of hot water. “Let me wash your hair?”

Link sighed, but nodded. “All right, but only if I can wash yours.”

“Deal.”

 

xXxXxXx

 

Once they were clean and dry, Link headed back into the bedroom to change the sheets. He had a few spare sets in the closet, but quickly realized that if Lavi jumped his bones as often as he had since he’d arrived, he would need to do laundry before the week was out or suffer through cum-stained sheets. When he finished, he headed back into the main room. It was just after 11 PM, and after multiple intimate encounters, he was surprised that he wasn’t more sleepy.

Lavi had started the kettle on the stove once more, finally making that tea Link had promised him hours ago. Link hadn’t bothered to dry his hair, and left the wet locks loose as he joined Lavi in the kitchen.

“You don’t have to work tomorrow, do you?” Lavi asked, pulling out two plates from the cupboard and dishing them some of the Chinese takeout they had left out on the counter before scurrying off to the bedroom.

Link shook his head and brushed back the wet hair from his face. “No. Apparently, my boss has a heart after all. But I need to be there the rest of the week.”

“Think you can get your birthday off?” Lavi none-too-carefully shoved both plates in the microwave over the stove.

“It’s a Saturday, so I think I’m okay.” He shuffled closer to Lavi, watching as the steam began to rise from the kettle. “What about you? What are you going to do while I’m stuck at work all day?”

Lavi absently slipped his fingers into Link’s hair as he watched the timer on the microwave count down. “I figured I could get my own work done. Or sleep.”

Link nodded, tugging at the sleeves on his pajamas shirt. “Are you still writing for the local newspaper?”

“The Daily Tribune? Yeah. Gramps seems pretty stoked that I have another job besides working at the shop. I think he was worried that if he ever had to close it down due to lack of business, I’d be hosed.” Lavi rubbed the tip of his nose, leaning in closer as they waited for their food and drinks to heat up. “As if Lena wouldn’t hire me.”

“You wouldn’t last a week at _Morning Brew_.” Link chucked, hiding his smile behind his hand.

“Excuse you—I would be amazing.”

“No, you would dick around with Allen too much, distracting you both from your work, and likely pissing off the customers as well. You’re too used to being a customer there and not the staff. You’d never be able to make it work.”

Lavi huffed, turning away from Link. “What a killjoy.”

“I’m just being honest.”

The microwave beeped, the ear-piercing noise echoing through the dorm. Lavi grabbed the plates, nearly burning his fingers from the heat radiating off the ceramic before setting them down to cool on the counter. He shook his hands once they were free, the skin still smarting from the hot plate. Link tsked him then led him to the sink to run them under cool water.

“Please be more careful,” Link said, checking his fingers as the water ran over the burned skin.

“It’s fine,” Lavi assured him, his voice softening. “You worry too much.”

“I think I worry the correct amount, thank you.” He kept Lavi’s fingers under the water until the kettle sang, then turned it off and handed him a towel. Link finished preparing the herbal tea as Lavi dried his hands and checked his fingers. The skin was barely red; hardly burned at all.

“Did you want to stay up and wait for midnight?” Lavi asked, picking up the plates once more. The heat had faded, and he brought them to the living room to set on the coffee table. “We’ve got less than an hour to go.”

Link set the kettle back on the stove, then grabbed each of their mugs before following after Lavi. “Are you still set on seeing Santa?”

Lavi chuckled, flopping back on the couch once he’d freed his hands. He watched Link as he joined him. “Well, we could open presents. Technically, it would be Christmas at midnight. And Lenalee had given me specific instructions to not open anything until Christmas.”

“She’s a stickler for the rules.” Link handed Lavi a mug before taking a sip of his own. “I’m up for it if you are. It’s not like we’re going anywhere tomorrow.”

“Too bad you don’t have decorations.” Lavi frowned as he looked around the barren living room. “You don’t even have a single string of lights up.”

“We didn’t have time to decorate with finals. Besides, we all thought we’d be home for Christmas.” Link curled his hands around the hot ceramic of the mug, looking around the room. Lavi had a point—the lack of festive decorations was depressing. “Sorry you had to be stuck here with me…”

“Hey, don’t you dare apologize for that. It was my choice to come here in the first place. Besides,” Lavi set his mug down and shuffled closer to Link on the couch, “I would rather be with you tonight than anywhere else on this whole damned planet.”

Link couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. He kept his gaze fixed on the tea in his hands, the ceramic mug warming his fingers as steam rolled off the liquid’s surface. “I’m glad you’re here, too. I just wish we were at home and not stuck in my dorm.”

“We can make it better. Here—” Lavi grabbed the controller on the coffee table and turned on the TV. His eye widened for a split second before he grinned. “Fuck, is this a smart TV?”

Link chuckled. “My roommates have rich parents.”

“Perfect.” Lavi navigated the menu and pulled up the Youtube app. Link watched him painstakingly type in the search bar with the awkward remote control. However, when he finally found what he was looking for and hit play, Link raised his eyebrows.

“Really? You’re putting on a video of a fireplace?”

“It’s festive! And romantic!” Lavi cried out, brandishing the remote at the TV to emphasize his point. “Oh! And we could put on some Christmas music, too!”

Link sipped at his tea while watching Lavi pull up a Christmas playlist on his phone. Suddenly, the living room was filled with the sounds of _Jingle Bell Rock_ blasting from the tiny speakers. Link sighed and tried to keep from laughing. He felt ridiculous eating Chinese takeout while listening to Christmas music and watching a video of a log burning on the TV. It wasn’t the Christmas he was supposed to have, but having Lavi with him once more made all the deadlines and piled up work and worries melt away, even if for just one night.

They ate quietly, and Link was surprised that he was hungrier than he realized. It didn’t help that he’d inadvertently skipped dinner. After they had eaten, Lavi grabbed his bags and set out three wrapped presents on the table. Link smiled, able to tell which one was from who just by looking at the wrapping.

Lenalee, as always, wrapped her gift with care—making sure all the paper edges were cut neatly and taped securely, bows and ribbons tied around the box and curled at the ends with a festive label taped on the top.

Allen tried, but he never seemed to get the presents to look quite right. He’d given up trying to wrap presents years ago and settled for buying gift bags for everything.

And Lavi… Lavi’s wrapping skills were something else on their own. Though, to call them skills was something of a misnomer—it was more the lack of skill that distinguished Lavi’s gift wrapping ability from the others. Lavi never actually had wrapping paper available—not for birthdays, holidays, or any gift giving celebration. (Link had tried to buy him some once, just to fix the issue, but the roll had mysteriously disappeared as soon as it was needed.) If he could get away with it, Lavi wouldn’t wrap the gifts at all. But when he had to, he got…creative with them. Link had seen his boyfriend use a myriad of random things to wrap presents, including plastic grocery bags taped around the present, paper bags stabled shut, a cereal box, and Link’s personal favorite, notebook paper.

This time, however, he could tell Lavi had really made an effort. Next to Lenalee’s elegantly wrapped box and Allen’s colorful paper bag, Link saw Lavi’s present to him, wrapped in the comics section of a newspaper.

As they cleared their plates from the coffee table, Link commented, “I hope you and the others didn’t spend much.”

“We didn’t—I promise. In fact, we went with homemade gifts, like Lena had suggested.” Lavi freshened up their tea.

“I appreciate that more, anyway.” Link hid his smile as he slipped back down the hallway. “Just let me grab my present for you.”

When he returned, he set the box down on the table with the rest of the presents, his neatly wrapped gift looking much like Lenalee’s in style and design. “And, just so you know, I baked all of you pies. You’ll have to take care of them when you bring them back with you.”

Lavi’s eye widened and a grin spread over his face. “What?! One of Howie’s world-famous pies?”

“They’re not world-famous—”

“Okay, hands down, that’ll be the best gift ever. You’ve blown our gifts out of the water,” Lavi rambled, cutting Link off as he collapsed back down on the couch. “I already want to eat mine.”

“Well, I froze them to make sure they would stay fresh on the trip back, so you might have to wait a while for it to thaw.”

“I’ll take my chances.”

Link sighed, shaking his head as he rejoined Lavi on the couch. “If you break your teeth, I won’t take you to the dentist.”

“Howie, so cruel…”

“Are we going to open presents, or are you going to keep whining?” Link raised his eyebrows accusingly, waiting for Lavi’s answer.

With a huff, Lavi checked the time—11:58 PM. “Okay, two minutes won’t kill us, I guess. Just don’t tell Lenalee.”

“Trust me, I know better than that.”

“Okay, you first,” Lavi insisted, handing over the gift bag first. “This is from Allen.”

Link took the bag and tugged out the colorful red and green tissue paper until he found the contents. Inside was a CD with a handwritten tracklist scrawled out on the front panel. He recognized Allen’s handwriting, and smiled. “Did he give me a mix?”

Lavi laughed and nodded. “If I recall correctly, he said you need to keep up with all the new music—oh, and that this will help keep you awake when you study.”

Folding the paper bag, he set it back down on the table with the tissues, and looked over the tracklist. “He’s never going to let me live down that one time, is he?”

“To be fair, you didn’t know who Lady Gaga was. I think he was two seconds from a heart attack.”

Link sighed and rolled his eyes as he tried not to laugh at the memory. “Well, I know now.”

“Here, open Lena’s next.” Lavi handed him the next present, wrapped in red and gold ribbons. Link placed the CD on the table and worked on unwrapping the box.

He picked at the ribbons, a smile on his face. “I’m starting to feel bad that I get to open three presents and you only have the one.”

With a snort of derision, Lavi waved his hand to dismiss the comment. “Lena and Al have stuff for me at home. Besides, I’m here for you, not me. Well, okay. Maybe a little for me. I definitely missed that ass.”

“ _Lavi_.” Link flushed, lips pursed as he gently tugged the edges of the wrapping paper.

“What? It’s true.” Lavi grinned, leaning in closer until his chin rested on Link’s shoulder. “Missed that dick, too.”

“Must you be so crude?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Lavi replied, snickering as he kissed over the exposed skin of Link’s neck. “Is it my fault that you drive me crazy?”

“Yes, it is,” Link mumbled, biting his lip to keep from making any wanton noises. If he did, Lavi would only tease him more, and they’d be back in bed before he could blink.

Not that that was a _bad_ thing…

“You know,” Lavi began, as he hitched a leg over Link’s lap. “It’ll be new year’s by the time you open that.”

He side-eyed Lavi before finally ripping all the paper and ribbons off the present unveiling a thin, rectangular box. He popped open the top, and as he saw the contents, he softened immediately.

Inside, resting on a bed of soft cushioning, was a picture frame. The frame had been painted blue, with shells, rocks, and other bits of things collected from the beach and glued around it. In the frame, behind immaculate glass, was a picture of the four of them on the boardwalk. Lenalee had taken the picture last summer. He smiled at the memory, almost smelling the salt that hung in the air from that night.

“This… is really nice,” he said, his thumb brushing over a few of the shells on the frame.

“I thought you might like it. Lena wasn’t sure, but I told her you were just as sentimental as she is.”

Link elbowed Lavi, giving him a half-hearted glare before he looked back at the photograph. It wasn’t as if he didn’t already have a decent number of pictures saved on his phone or posted on various social media sites, but having something tangible to hold and to move around his room left him with a fuzzy warm feeling in his chest. “I’ll have to thank her for the gift, and Allen as well.”

Lavi reached over to grab the small little box on the table, his grin faltering for a split second as he handed it over to Link. “And this is from me.”

Link set aside the picture frame and took the present. It was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, barely weighted anything. “You should open yours first,” he said, pointedly looking to the pleasantly wrapped the box on the table.

“Ooh, yes! I want to see what you got me, Howie.” Lavi snatched the box up with a flourish and settled in next to Link as he worked off the elegant silver and gold ribbons.

“It’s not… amazing or anything. I just thought you might like it.” Link watched Lavi as he ripped off the paper and ribbons like an animal. He chewed the inside of his lower lip as Lavi finally opened the top and revealed the gift—a long olive green scarf and a matching pair of fingerless mitts. Lavi pulled them out, his eye wide as he ran his fingers along the raised edges of the cabled fabric.

“Whoa,” Lavi mumbled, staring at the hand-knit items.

Link shifted uncomfortably as Lavi admired the gifts. “One of my classmates knits, so I asked her to make those in exchange for me proofreading her papers for the semester.” He ran his finger over the edge of his present anxiously, waiting for Lavi’s reaction.

Pulling the scarf out of the box, Lavi draped it over his neck before slipping the gloves on his hands. He grinned widely, wiggling his fingers. “These are amazing, Howie. Thank you!”

“You like them?”

“Why wouldn’t I?! I always need more scarves, and these gloves are perfect for writing. Gramps keeps the damn house so cold, I think I might lose my fingers one of these winters.”

“Let’s hope it never comes to that,” Link replied, a soft smile pulling at his lips.

Lavi wrapped the scarf snuggly around his neck, then leaned into Link’s shoulder. “Okay, your turn again,” Lavi said, shifting impatiently against the cushions.

“I see you actually wrapped it this time,” Link commented as he ripped open the paper.

“Lenalee told me if I didn’t wrap it, she wouldn’t let me get coffee for a month.”

Link snorted at the revelation, shaking his head as he pulled the rest of paper off to reveal a small, white box. “There goes half her profits.”

“Right?! I’m a paying customer, dammit!”

“You’re also a distraction.”

“A sexy distraction, though.”

“I suppose I can’t argue with that.” Link popped open the top of the box and blinked as he saw the contents. A small bracelet sat amongst a cushion of cotton. He could tell right away that it was handmade, having a slightly unrefined look about it—though it charmed Link none-the-less. Small pieces of opaque rocks were threaded along a strong elastic string. The colors of each rock varied; green, blue, and clear all represented on the bracelet. However, it wasn’t until Link picked it up that he realized what it was.

“Sea glass?”

Lavi nodded, watching him expectantly. “Lena… she had some she’d been collecting for a while. And she helped me make the bracelet. Okay, maybe it was like seventy-five percent her and only twenty-five percent me, but it was still my idea.”

Slipping the bracelet on over his wrist, Link twisted it around, admiring each piece of rough glass. No one piece was like another, and even the colors all varied. The uneven rocks weren’t clunky on his wrist, and were lighter than he’d expected. Little silver beads were set between each piece of weathered glass, and the elastic band kept it tight to his wrist.

Lavi shifted again in his seat, clearing his throat. “I, uh, thought that this way, you could keep a little piece of the ocean with you all the time. Y’know, something to remind you…”

Lavi didn’t have to finish his sentence for Link to know what he was going to say. It reminded him of the ocean, of walking down the beach and picking up little treasures along the way. Of early mornings and late nights spent fooling around. Of the smell of salt that clung to their skin. Of falling asleep together in front of the fire as the sound of crashing waves roared nearby. Of holding hands. Of stolen kisses. Of whispered promises and sweet words of love.

_—To remind you of me._

“It’s beautiful.” Link ran his fingers over the bracelet, trying to ignore that twinge in his chest as he stared at the sea glass. “Thank you—for this and for coming to see me. I…” He tried to get the words out, but they caught in his throat. That same twisting unease curled in his guts as it had the night before. He kept his gaze away from Lavi’s and busied himself with cleaning up the wrapping paper mess they’d created.

Lavi watched him, concerned etched into his face. “Howie?”

Link stood and kept his back to Lavi as he snatched up the paper and ribbons and headed back to the kitchen. “You wanted that pie, right?” he asked, throwing the boxes and paper in the trash before making a beeline to the refrigerator.

“Howie?” Lavi asked again, following after him.

“If I take it out now, it’ll be thawed by tomorrow.” He opened the freezer and shuffled through the cramped space. His throat tightened up as he heard Lavi walk up behind him, footsteps heavy on the tiled flooring.

Just as he reached for one of the boxed pies, Lavi’s hand curled around his wrist, and around the bracelet he’d just given the blond.

“What’s going on with you?” Lavi asked, eyebrows knit tight as he pulled Link from the freezer and closed the door. “You’re acting weird. Did you not like the present?”

Link saw the flash of hurt in Lavi’s solitary green eye, and his heart clenched tighter with guilt. “No, I love it. I just—” Link shook his head, the words not coming out the way he wanted them. Everything felt jumbled, like his insides were chopped up and sloshing around in his body. Lavi’s hand felt like hot embers on his skin, always warm and burning him up, and his gaze tore into his heart like a knife. The confession fell from his lips then, like a horrible secret he couldn’t keep inside anymore. “I don’t want you to have to wait for me.”

The confusion on Lavi’s face doubled and he stood there in the kitchen, fingers tightening around Link’s wrist as he moved in closer. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Link’s mouth went dry, and he stared at Lavi’s chest to keep from meeting his intense gaze. He twisted his wrist in Lavi’s grip, but when his fingers refused to loosen, Link swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I just thought that—that when I couldn’t get away from my internship for break…”

Lavi’s fingers loosened slightly, as if just hearing the skittish tone in Link’s voice made him soften. “What did you think?”

There was no point in denying it, no point in skirting around his feelings when Lavi had him pinned with that worried stare. “That you might be tired of waiting around for me.”

Lavi sighed, as if he’d expected that answer. The fingers of his free hand slipped into Link’s hair, brushing through his blond locks. “Howie…” He leaned in and kissed Link, lips soft against his own, the faint taste of the Chinese food they are earlier on his tongue. When Lavi pulled away, he pressed another kiss to Link’s forehead. “I’m not tired, and I’m not waiting for you. We’re here together now, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but for how long?” Link asked again, his face souring as he thought over every instance of them being apart, each lonely night, each missed opportunity to be together because of time or distance or money or _obligations_. Too many obligations, too many people demanding his time when all he wanted was to spend it with Lavi. “I’m always stuck here, and we never get to see each other. It’s not fair to make you wait around while I’m—”

“Full stop right there, Howie,” Lavi said, interrupting Link and pulling him into a strong, comforting hug. Even with how worked up he was, Link fell into the embrace, muscles relaxing as Lavi held him close. “First off, I’m not waiting around for you. I’m doing my own things and working and seeing my friends. It’s not like I’m sitting at a window looking wistfully at the ocean and wondering when you’ll come back. We still talk most days, even if it’s just a text. I don’t see that as waiting for anything. And second—you’re not just screwing around here. You’re in one of the best universities in the country, working hard to better yourself. What _wouldn’t_ be fair is if I guilted you for getting an education.”

Link played with the bracelet around his wrist, closing his eyes as he pressed his face into the folds of Lavi’s shirt. “I just don’t want to be a burden. If there’s something else, _someone_ else you would rather spend your time with, I—”

“Stop.” The sharpness in Lavi’s tone sucked the air from Link’s lungs. He waited as Lavi’s long arms tightened around his shoulders. “There’s no one else for me. Even if I had to wait another twenty years, I would wait them for you. So, please, stop doubting our relationship because of a couple hundred miles of asphalt.”

With a sigh, Link gave a slow, shallow nod. “I’m sorry. I was worried when you didn’t return my phone calls, and… I must’ve over-thought everything.”

Lavi hummed in acknowledgment. “I was kinda pissed when you called to tell me you couldn’t make it, but not at you.”

“I was… upset as well. I think that clouded my thoughts.” He rested his head against Lavi’s chest, still playing with the sea glass around his wrist. “I really wanted to see you.”

“And look? Here I am.” Lavi grinned and pressed another kiss to the top of Link’s head. “The best present you’ll get all year.”

“Couldn’t ask for anything better,” Link mumbled, leaning into the embrace.

“Well, I dunno,” Lavi began, and Link could already hear the mischief in his voice before he could finish his thought, “I think I know a way to make it better.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

“It starts with you thawing out that pie I was promised, and ends with us in bed again.”

Link snorted out a laugh, and shook his head as he pulled free from Lavi’s embrace. “I suppose I did keep you waiting for the pie long enough.”

“That’s okay,” Lavi replied, leaning against the counter as he watched Link, a lazy smile on his face. “I don’t mind the wait.”

 

xXxXxXx

 

Link woke to the sound of silence—no roommates getting ready for the day, no disturbances in the hallway, no music playing too loudly. Sweet, gentle silence.

They’d never made it back to the bedroom that night, instead camping out on the couch as they watched Christmas movies on Netflix until they fell asleep waiting for the pie to thaw and stuffing themselves silly with Lenalee’s cookies. By the time Link had woken, gray light filtered in through the blinds on the windows. He blinked and sighed, shifting slowly against the warmth of Lavi’s body under him.

Half of Lavi’s limbs hung limp over the edge of the couch, the others curled around Link as they nestled together in the blankets. His breathing hadn’t changed, and even though Link was well on his way to full consciousness, Lavi hadn’t stirred. After taking a moment to clear the haze of sleep from his mind, Link sat up and rubbed his eyes.

They had fallen asleep halfway through Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and luckily the movies had stopped playing after that. Link sighed, pulling his long hair over his shoulder as he tugged at the shirt he’d slept in. He was in complete disarray, and when he finally grabbed his phone off the coffee table to check the time, he winced. “After noon? Really?” He likely fucked up his entire sleep schedule thanks to one night with Lavi—but he couldn’t deny that it was worth it.

Turning to look at the redhead, he smiled softly and ran a hand through his messy hair. Lavi had turned so his good side was pressed up against the blankets, and Link could only see the soft white gauze eyepatch covering his right eye. Lavi let out a heavy breath, not so much of a sigh as a whine, and twisted around in the blankets.

“It’s late,” Link whispered, fingers still smoothing out Lavi’s messy strands.

“ _You’re_ late,” Lavi replied back childishly, trying to pull the blankets over his head.

Humming to himself, Link stood and headed to the kitchen, filling an empty glass of water for himself. He watched Lavi curl up further in the couch cushions before he spoke again. “I suppose you could sleep the day away. But you’re going to miss out on this pie. It looks like it’s finally thawed.”

That got his attention. Lavi bolted upright, blankets and pillows flying everywhere as he stared over at Link. “Good sir,” he began, still only half-awake. “Unhand my pastry.”

Link chuckled and admired the pie as he lifted a knife to cut into it. “Come make me.”

“You’re a cruel one, Howard Link.” Lavi pushed the blankets back and stumbled his way to the kitchen, stopping just next to Link and knocking his shoulder lightly. “You do realize we were up until sunrise and you have the audacity to wake me?”

“First of all, it was only until 3 AM. Don’t be dramatic.” He cut into the pie, sliding the knife all the way through the middle, cutting it into two equal pieces before he worked on cutting smaller slices. “Secondly, I didn’t think you’d want to waste one of our only days off together by sleeping through it.”

Lavi groaned, rolling his head to the side and resting it against Link’s shoulder as he watched him cut the pie. “I know. But I’m tired.”

“We don’t have to do much today if you don’t want to.” Link moved to grab some plates and forks before easing the first piece from the pan. “I would just like you conscious for some of it.”

With a snicker, Lavi leaned forward against the counter, his gaze shifting from the pie to Link. “…Is there something you wanted to do? I figured that we couldn’t go anywhere—most places are closed.”

Link was quiet for a moment, still looking down at the freshly cut pie. “…There’s one place we could go.”

“Yeah? Where’s that?” Lavi asked, sliding closer to Link.

Link gave the first piece to Lavi, then dished himself out the second. The pie hadn’t been cut for more than a minute and he could already smell the apples and cinnamon in the air around them. “There’s a park not far from campus. We could walk there, if it’s not too cold. They have a light display up and I hadn’t had a chance to look at it yet.”

Perking up, Lavi grabbed his plate and straightened his back. “That would be fun. I get to test out my new presents.”

“We’ll have to wait until it gets dark. What did you want to do until then?”

Lavi grinned, stabbing his fork into the flaky crust and taking his first bite. He hummed in approval before replying. “First I’m going to eat the rest of this amazing pie, and then,” he said, leveling a suggestive look at the blond, “I’m gonna get some protein.”

Groaning, Link pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

 

xXxXxXx

 

The snow hadn’t stopped since last night, and by the time they ventured out to see the lights in the park, the sidewalks were thick with sticky, wet snow. It came halfway to their knees as they trudged through it, awkwardly picking their way over plowed piles from the roads sidewalks. They’d bundled up, thick coats keeping them warm as they slowly made their way through the drifts.

Lavi sunk his chin deep into the folds of his new scarf, wincing every time the wind picked up and blew snow in his face. “You’re sure this is worth it? You want to walk in this blizzard just to see some Christmas lights?”

“It’s not a blizzard, and yes. It’s Christmas and I want to see Christmas lights,” Link replied, sidestepping a heavy drift of snow as he made his way across the street. There were hardly any people out on the roads, and every business they passed was closed, their stores locked tight and darkened.

Hurrying to follow after Link, Lavi fell in step next to him and captured his gloved hand. “Mm, I love when you’re decisive.” He leaned in, cold lips and nose brushing against his cheek as he stole a quick kiss. “Gets me all hot and bothered.”

“Well, you’ll need the warmth while we’re out here, won’t you?” Link commented, giving Lavi an amused smirk.

Lavi laughed, his breath coming out like a mist of fog as he shook his head, unable to reply. They continued on, hand-in-hand through the snowy streets. The walk took longer than Link had expected with the streets and sidewalks only half shoveled or plowed, but climbing over snow banks and slogging through the snow kept them warm, at least.

As they turned the corner by the deli, the park came into view.

“Damn,” Lavi muttered under his breath, blinking as he took in the lights.

The park stretched across the expanse of land, trees lining the sidewalks and taking root throughout the now snow-laden earth. Walking paths that had been clear a day ago were now covered in snow. In the middle of the park was a pond, now iced over and barely distinguishable from the rest of the landscape if not for the dried up cattails that refused to be covered by the unending snowfall.

But the real attraction was in the trees—multicolored Christmas lights hung from the trees lining the walkways, brightening the path and leaving the entire area awash in the soft, festive colors. They wrapped around leafless maples, oaks, and ash trees, but the most delightful sights were the large pines that dotted the park. With the snowy branches alight with the glowing balls of color, it gave the trees an magical look, as if fairies or sprites were hiding among the boughs.

As they made their way through the drifted snow and onto the path, Link smiled up at the lights. “I told you it would be worth it.”

“I stand corrected,” Lavi replied, breathless as he craned his neck to look up at the trees. “How the fuck did they get the lights all the way up there.”

“Magic,” Link replied dryly, pulling Lavi along the snowy path. “Let’s walk for a bit.”

Lavi moved with him easily, too distracted by the myriad of lights to care where they were headed or to comment on Link’s response. They started around the path, the snow halfway up their shins as they took in all the trees. Lavi snapped a few pictures with his phone as they slowly shuffled through the snow. They had almost made an entire loop around the park before Lavi spoke again—Link couldn’t recall the last time Lavi had been quiet for that long and still conscious.

“This is really pretty,” Lavi said, still looking up at the lights. “We don’t have anything like this back home—well, except for that one house near the beach that always goes balls-deep when decorating. I don’t even want to think about their electric bill. But this… this is nice.”

Link smiled, feeling the cold in his cheeks as he stopped to admire one of the giant pine trees that dotted the area. “I thought this would help.”

“Help?”

He turned back to Lavi, a wistful look on his face. “Help make today really feel like Christmas.”

Lavi smiled, and for a moment, Link thought his face shined brighter than all the lights in the park. “Any day I’m with you feels like Christmas.”

Link rolled his eyes at the cheesy remark, and turned to hide his face. Lavi only got worse when he knew his dorky flirtations actually worked. “You’re impossible.”

Unable to argue, Lavi just laughed and pulled Link closer and nuzzled into his neck, his breath warming the scarf snug around his chin. “You love me, anyway.”

Leaning in close, Link returned the hug. “Yeah, I do,” he whispered back, his body relaxing in Lavi’s arms. They stood there for a long moment as the snow continued to fall around them until Lavi pulled away and grinned back at Link.

“You know what would really make this the perfect Christmas?”

“What would that be?”

“Snowball fight!” Without batting an eye, Lavi scooped up a handful of wet snow and slapped it on top of Link’s head.

Link cried out in surprise, the snow slipping under his collar and chilling his neck. He fell backwards, landing in the heavy cushion of snow. It worked up his jacket into any crevice it could find, and before Link could think to retaliate, Lavi pounced on top of him. Still laughing, Lavi scooped another handful of snow and tossed it into Link’s face.

“You— _knock it off!_ ” Link squirmed under Lavi’s larger form, grabbing his own handful of snow and throwing it back at the redhead. As Lavi went to block the well-aimed hit, Link used the momentum to switch their positions. He rolled to the side, pushing Lavi into the snow and pinning him down to the ground. He tossed another handful of snow into the redhead’s face for good measure.

They laid there in the snow, panting as the ice that had slipped under their collars melted against warm skin, and stared at each other. Lavi’s grin still spread over his face, cheeks wet and rosy from the exertion.

“Fun, right?” he asked, reaching his arms up until they were around Link’s neck. His grin widened.

“That depends on your definition of f— _Lavi!_ Don’t put _more_ snow down my jacket!” Link squirmed out of the redhead’s grasp, pushing away his hands from around his neck. Lavi howled with laughter, until Link retaliated, and shoved another fistful of snow into his face.

“You asshole,” Link grumbled, sitting back on Lavi’s hips as he watched his boyfriend attempt to brush the snow from his face and scarf.

“All’s fair in love and war, babe.”

“Don’t spout literature at me. I know your tactics.” Link threw another handful of snow on Lavi’s face for good measure.

“Okay, okay! I surrender! Cease fire!” Lavi cried, laughing between each word.

Triumphant, Link smirked and crossed his arms. “There. That’ll teach you to battle me in a snowball fight.”

Lavi flopped his arms back in the snow, stretched out as he stared up at Link. “You’re almost as bad as Al. He has no mercy.”

“You should know better than to mess with him, either.”

“He ices his balls, Howie! It hurts! And he aims for the face!”

Link winced at the word choice and shook his head. “Please don’t talk about icing balls, especially Allen’s.”

Snickering, Lavi grabbed Link’s hips and pulled him closer. “What’s the matter? Are your balls icing over now?”

With his lips set in a tight line, Link glared down at Lavi, though the look had no effect on the redhead. “Well, you did toss me into the snow.”

Lavi’s hands tightened around Link’s waist. “Hmm, maybe we should go back to your place and fix that?”

 

xXxXxXx

 

_“Ah, shit!”_

They’d hurried back to Link’s dorm and had stripped out of their soaking wet clothes in record time as they rushed into the bedroom and collapsed together in bed. Link pinned Lavi to the mattress, nipping at his lower lip as their hips rocked together. The blankets fell around his waist, and Lavi groaned as Link teased and taunted him.

Their skin was still cold and damp to the touch, having been out in the snow not five minutes earlier, but they were warming up quickly. Lavi’s erection burned against Link’s stomach, hard and wanting as they writhed against each other between the sheets. This felt more desperate than their first time since Lavi had arrived, more carnal. Lavi’s nails dug into his back, flesh already scored with bright red lines as he tugged Link closer.

Lavi closed his eye as his hips arched up again and again, begging for more friction. “Howie, c’mon,” he groaned, head tossing back and forth against the pillow. “I can’t wait anymore.”

“Always so impatient,” Link mumbled against Lavi’s neck before reaching for the nightstand drawer. He pulled out a condom and lube, then slipped further down Lavi’s body until he came face to face with his twitching member. Link licked him from base to tip, tongue dragging over stiff flesh to tease his boyfriend. Lavi’s hips jumped up at the touch, a moan escaping past his lips.

“It’s not my fault you get me worked up so fast.” Lavi cracked his eye open and spread his legs, giving Link better access to his backside.

“You could learn some self-control,” Link suggested, lips quirked into a smirk as he drizzled the lube on his fingers.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

With a shake of his head, Link pushed Lavi’s legs back and slipped his hand between them. He slid his fingers along the cleft of his ass until he found Lavi’s puckered entrance. Gently, he worked one slick finger into the redhead, listening to him sigh in relief at the touch.

“Deeper,” Lavi moaned, his hands clenching in the sheets as he watched Link finger him.

“Impatient _and_ demanding.” Link gave him a smug look as he shoved another finger into his backside. Lavi keened, chewing at his lower lip.

Link worked his fingers in and out, scissoring and stretching Lavi with care. He had always tried to be thorough, not wanting to hurt Lavi in any way, but his eager lover always pushed him faster and harder than he wanted to go at any given moment. It was as frustrating as it was arousing, and Link found himself giving in without much of a fight.

Sucking in a quick gasp, Lavi pressed the heel of his palm into his good eye and whined. “Please, I can’t—” He cut himself off to groan again, the sound echoing off the bedroom walls. “I can’t take it anymore. Just fuck me already.”

Indulging himself in a few more pumps of his fingers into the redhead, Link slowly withdrew his hand and ripped open the condom wrapper, sliding it over his own hard cock. Lavi let out a heavy breath as he watched Link ready himself. He sat up, legs on either side of Link and cupped the blond’s cheek as he pulled him in for a long, deep kiss. Link fell into it with ease, his tongue sliding over Lavi’s as their lips molded together.

When Lavi pulled back, he ran his hand down Link’s bare chest, his eye heavy with want. Link swallowed, that familiar feeling of need welling up in his guts. He leaned in and pressed his forehead against Lavi’s, lips trembling slightly as he asked, “Back or stomach?”

Lavi hummed, kissing Link one more time. “Back.” He stretched himself out on the mattress, legs spread wide. The invitation was clear as Lavi took Link’s wrist and pulled him down to lay on top of him.

The sweet kisses left Link dizzy with need, blood pumping faster through his veins. Lavi’s kisses were like a drug, wonderful and addicting. He could never get enough. With the taste of Lavi on his lips, Link shifted his hips and pushed Lavi’s legs back, then thrust himself into him.

Lavi groaned at the full feeling of Link sliding into him, his muscles tightening as Link settled between his legs. The pressure and tightness of their connected bodies left them both shivering. Lavi’s hands trembled with excitement as he smoothed them over the planes of Link’s back, hips arching as he silently begged his lover to move. Link ducked his head against the crook of Lavi’s neck, kissing him sweetly before he began.

Link rocked his hips into Lavi, earning a hum of approval from the redhead. Heat crawled up his neck as he listened to the pleased noises emanating from his boyfriend. It left him hot and desperate to hear more of the blessed sounds. He thrust his hips harder, just once, and the choked gasp that spilled from Lavi’s mouth sent a shot of desire through him, scorching him like fire.

When Link didn’t follow through with more deeper, rougher thrusts, Lavi whined, nosing against his ear and digging his nails hard into his back. “Don’t tease me like that,” Lavi grumbled, his hips arching up into Link’s. “ _Fuck_ me.”

Frustrated with Lavi’s restless, demanding tone, Link did just that. He fucked into the redhead, thrusting hard and pushing as deeply as he could. Lavi cried out, sounding almost shocked that his prodding had been effective. He clung to Link as the blond pounded into him, bracing his hands against the mattress. He felt Lavi’s nails cut into his skin, but the tight heat around his cock felt too good to care. Leaning in, he captured Lavi’s lips with his own, kissing him as hard as he fucked him, groaning into his mouth with abandon.

Lavi whined, hips attempting to meet Link’s with each thrust. However, Link worked into him too hard to keep up, and after a while, Lavi surrendered and lay there—legs spread as Link plunged into him with strong, hungry thrusts. He slipped one hand into Link’s hair, fingers digging into the blond strands and tugging at his messy braid.

Tearing his lips away from Link’s, Lavi let out a long moan and buried his face into his shoulder. One of his hands slipped between their stomachs, grabbing at his neglected dick and pumping it with a frantic, desperate pace. His muscles tensed under Link, strained as he edged himself closer and closer to orgasm.

Link nipped at Lavi’s pierced ear before straightening his back, then continued to work himself into the redhead as he changed the angle and pushed Lavi’s legs back further. Normally, he enjoyed the closeness of their bodies when they engaged in intercourse, but this time he wanted to watch the redhead jerk himself off as he filled him up.

The sight left him breathless. Lavi was red in the face, the flush creeping down his chest towards his pert nipples. His hand rubbed over the hard, velvety skin of his cock, thumb brushing over the head again and again. Even in the dim light of his room, Link could see the precum pearling up on the tip, and how it spread easily with each stroke—and even more enticing were the heavy drops that came after each of his own thrusts.

“Don’t stop. _Don’t stop_ ,” Lavi whispered, his eyelid heavy as his mouth hung open in soundless moans. “Right _there_.”

Link couldn’t have stopped if he had wanted to. Lavi’s pitiful whining only edged him closer to completion, his desperate pleas soaking into Link’s skin like warm sunshine. Everything felt so good, so perfect. He gripped at Lavi’s thighs, thrusting harder, faster, as he lost himself in the rhythm. They kept on like that, Link working into Lavi and Lavi jerking himself off, until a choked moan caught in Lavi’s throat.

“H—” Lavi couldn’t get his words out as he spilled over himself, cum spurting along his fingers and stomach. The white stretched out over his chest, a few drops splashing on his chin.

Staring down at the fresh, warm mess covering Lavi’s stomach, Link groaned and bit his lip. The sight of Lavi wrecked, flushed, and covered in his own cum did him in. He came, hips thrusting erratically into the redhead as he spilled into him. His fingers left bruises on Lavi’s thighs for how hard he grabbed him, and by the time his hips had slowed, he was a panting, sweaty mess.

Lavi grinned lazily up at Link before grabbing his wrist and pulling him back down on top of him. Link complied, and winced as their chests met, smearing the mess of cum over them both.

“That was fun,” Lavi whispered, running his clean hand through Link’s hair.

“Mm,” Link mumbled back, too tired and fuzzy from his orgasm to bother with a proper reply.

Lavi chuckled softly, amused at Link’s lethargic response. “Hey, Howie?”

“Hm?”

After placing a kiss on his cheek, Lavi nosed against Link’s ear and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”

Link smiled into Lavi’s shoulder, arms tightening around the redhead as they cuddled together amongst the stained sheets, sweaty and dirty. “Merry Christmas, Lavi.”

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is! 
> 
> If you're interested in this fic, I will let you know that I have plans for another sequel. It will be multi-chaptered and (likely) begin when Link finishes university. 
> 
> Drop me a comment or come bug me on tumblr! (kitty-bandit.tumblr.com)


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